1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to networks for providing telephone services. More particularly, the present invention relates to improvements in telephone services accessible with pre-paid and post-paid calling cards.
2. Background of Related Art
Telephone calling cards store information used in connection with the delivery of, and billing for telephone services. "Pre-paid" calling cards are associated with an account having a fixed of amount of charges allowable. "Post-paid" calling cards are associated with accounts where the charges are paid in arrears for each billing cycle.
Calling cards vary in complexity from so-called "smart cards" to simple magnetic stripe cards. Smart cards contain memory locations for storing and updating information regarding the account or card user, and a microprocessor for performing various operations. Smart cards are connected to an intelligent terminal which interfaces with a telephone network. The actual coupling between the smart card and the intelligent terminal can be physical, inductive or capacitive. The control of a telephone transaction using such a card may be distributed between the network and the card.
Notwithstanding the above, many calling cards lack a microprocessor, limiting the operation of the card to transferring and storing information upon direction from the network. In perhaps the most common form, a calling card is simpler yet, containing only a read-only magnetic stripe storing a unique card number, and the like. In the case of the latter type of calling card, the network performs most of the operations necessary to complete a transaction.
In a typical calling card transaction, a user desiring to place a call takes a telephone off-hook and dials an access number, perhaps followed by the number printed on the calling card (corresponding to an account), a personal identification number (PIN) for security purposes, and then the destination telephone number. Alternatively, information such as the calling card number can be read by a card reader or magnetic stripe reader if such a device is attached to the user's telephone terminal.
A central database associated with the intelligent network stores all of the calling card numbers supported by the system, along with a corresponding PIN for each. The PIN input by the user is compared to the correct PIN stored in memory. If the input PIN matches the stored PIN, the intelligent network instructs a switch in the system to complete the connection and establish the desired call. If the PIN transmitted by the user does not match the stored PIN, the call is refused, whereupon the user is either given further opportunities to enter the correct PIN, or the call is terminated, or other action is taken, depending on the "call flow." The call flow of a telephone system is a comprehensive algorithm controlling logic used to establish and maintain a call.
Abbreviated dialing codes are a series of one or more alphanumeric digits representing a longer string of digits constituting a destination telephone number. For example, a "*" followed by an "8" might represent the telephone number "1-800-555-1212." Abbreviated dialing codes permit a customer to connect to a destination telephone number without having to correctly remember a large number of digits. Further, the fewer digits of an abbreviated dialing code allows for faster connection, and reduces the probability that the "wrong" destination number will be dialed.
Many common telephones and some IN calls (such VPN calls) allow abbreviated dialing, giving the user the aforementioned advantages when they are utilized. However, abbreviated dialing codes have not heretofore been available in telephone calling card systems so that a customer can use this feature regardless of the telephone used or the origination telephone line to which the input telephone is connected. This deficiency is more noticeable when the customer dials important numbers that are not (or not quite) memorized, such as to a relative or local corporate office (when the customer is traveling), and has no handy personal telephone book.
Accordingly, what is sorely lacking in the prior art is a telephone calling card service system allowing the calling card customer to conveniently use abbreviated dialing codes in place of cumbersome long destination numbers. Consistent with the above is a calling card service system allowing the calling card account subscriber to establish and modify programmable abbreviated dialing codes corresponding to desired destination telephone numbers, and to allow the calling card customer the same programming ability when the calling card account subscriber so authorizes.